Hollywood Ghost in the Shell

Anime News Network and Anime Anime report that Production I.G, the studio that produced all of Ghost in the Shell's adaptations into anime (the two movies and the three Stand Alone Complex works) has received permission to develop a Hollywood adaptation of the Masamume Shirow created cyborg sci-fi. A new contract with rights holder Kodansha allows Production I.G. to represent the creators and negotiate distribution of a live action film.
The third Stand Alone Complex anime, Solid State Society, a movie that originally aired on Japanese pay-per-view, will receive its North American premiere at next month's New York Comic Con (February 23-25).

Paprika Scheduled

Twitch points out that Satoshi Kon's (Perfect Blue, Tokyo Godfathers) Paprika is scheduled for American released on May 25th. A new site is online at www.paprikamovie.com

New Robotech Mini-Doc

Leading up the release Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, the DVD of which is scheduled for February 6th, Harmony Hold has posted a second mini-documentary, entitled "The Anime Pipeline". The short film can be seen on www.theshadowchronicles.com and YouTube

Ghibli Announcement Schedule

Nausicaa.net reports that Studio Ghibli President Toshio Suzuki announced at a Cinema ANGELICA press conference that Hayao Miyazaki's next film will be announced in March.
Many believe that the film will be an adaptation of the Chinese story "I Lost My Little Boy".

thanks Scott so much! I actually asked about the robotech deal just last week! awesome awesome awesome work. I've only waited for the sequel to the end of the next generation since 1986! finally! <p>studio movie grill is WAY better than alamo draft house by the way, no matter WHAT harry says. better set-up in the theater itself, better seating and everything. not too far from Katy either. amazing news! finally AICN DOES HAVE SOME COOL NEWS! and to think it's under the anime heading!

Production I.G. will probably focus on a more accessible and action-packed script, which is not a bad thing at all. I for one always wanted a GITS with a bit less dialogue in it. I got some of that in SAC, but a full length movie is different. Also, I don't think they'll tweak the characters too much, especially the already perfect Major.

Films I can enjoy with all my friends. Paprika!! Who needs friends - I can enjoy weird all by ma - self. A collar on my cat ...not in this universe ...I'll probably end up wearing it myself. Will someone Pulease release MindGame???? This has been ...a very long day. Finally good news ...a reason to be!! Good times.

...but Studio 4˚C is either breaking all the rules, or writing new ones - not sure which. The fact that MINDGAME continues to be unreleased in America is criminal - but their new film TEKKON KINKREET just got distribution in America from a major studio. Hopefully MINDGAME will follow.

seeing as how I'm rainy west houston of course. I did try to get my one of my buddies in detroit to drive to columbus to see it and naturally his wife squashed that idea. I think mine may do the same, and the copperfield theatre is only 20 minutes from our house! WIVES! FOR SHAME!

Seriously, ask yourself: would GITS be better off like Matrix or Bladerunner? Screw Matrix and it's third-rate knock-off, go back to the original source. Heck, I would go as far saying I'd rather they do it like Bourne series. ///// And when is anyone in Hollywood gonna sign up on a obvious choice for live action adapt: Jino-Roh? Takes the least effort to make since the animate flic is already staged like a live action flic.

hmm off the top
Dolph Lungren as Batou, thats a no brainer
Motoko
i mean, if she doesn't hipster/scenester/nerd out as much as she's a fan favorite, Portman could be good, if she plays straight up detached, cold, with that buried sense of humour, we already know she looks good with weird hair and no clothes, but Motoko wears not a lot of clothes cause she's well, cyber body but listen, no Theron, either that or an almost unknown, but if this could be done by someone with a good track record like Rodriguez who gets "it" how to handle comic, even more difficult, manga.
the old guy, Harrison Ford, with a bit of Nicole Kidman "The Hours" what do you call it, fake nose material stuff, whatever it is
and if worse comes to worse, Nicole Kidman as Motoko just for the fuck of it

Am I the only one that thinks a character named Motoko Kusanagi should be played by, I dunno, SOMEONE JAPANESE? And no, not just Asian. Much as I love her, Ziyi can't be everygodamnbody. The entire GitS universe relies on some strong Japanese nationalism. Have you seen how the US is portrayed? Screw it. Don't even try an adapt this right. BECAUSE IT ALREADY HAS BEEN. Why do I need to seem some actor try and capture the perfection of character that has already be established? Damn Americans and their anti-animation bias. This is why get live action Avatar green-lit. Guh.

maybe, but the push is for anime studios and Japanese IP holders to make real money off Hollywood and from North American audiences. This has less to do with artistic merit (though Production I.G puts out a lot of interesting work) and more to do with capital and audience interest

DynamixRo's right... at least I hope they left it in their original form after reading what the fans want. I take that back, I hope they make it: have the Major American-ize, the story all about political intrique with less action, and all gritty and cyber-punky... ya know, nothing like the original material right? And ya wonder why F'N otakus are giving the fans a bad a name.

But I was gonna make it a TV show... but then we got a TV show called StandAlone Complex that kicked my ideas in the ass... and I loved it! More please!<br><br> Well at least I can still hold on to my dream of making an Akira live action movie, with a gazillion dollars I'd make it a trilogy, each flic covering 2 books each of the manga shot near frame for frame... If you thought teh Lord of the Rings was epic and cost a lotta money, Akira done right as I envision may not make back my budget even if it was a titanic success :P<br><br> And is Paprika and Shadow Chronicles coming to Toronto or what?

...the franchise, but any adaptation that tried to remain faithful to the source would have to slice the philosophical examinations of conciousness and what it means 'to be' into very thin portions for the American mass-market. I currently work at 'a major international video-rental chain'. Every day, I can count on one hand the number of people who want more than simplistic, one-sentence plot lines; and, let's face it, Hollywood ain't about the art, it's bidness, boys. Even low-budget waste-of-film-stock movies make money by going direct-to-DVD. I'd rather no GITS:Live than something that left a sour taste in my mouth. And another thing, I still don't get all the hating on Aeon Flux:Live. I watched it, liked it, bought it. Then I bought the 3-disk animated series box set. I watched it all, and I still feel like my head's gonna explode. There was so much nihilistic, apparently drug-induced stream-of-conciousness, shock-for-the-sake-of-shock crap I thought I was gonna need therapy. And I spent a week in Amsterdam getting schooled by the licensed ho's, so I don't shock easily.

Aeon Flux and GITS.
For one thing, Chung's series is about a billion times more fucked up than GiTS has ever been. When the AF series hit DVD I watched pretty much the whole thing in one day with a couple friends, afterwards, I literally came down.
I know GitS has its moments, but I'm pretty sure half the battle of creating AF was psychological research on how to scar somebody for life with images. Which is the type of thing a $70 million Hollywood movie can never hope to acheive.
Long story short, making Aeon Flux into a movie is just an inherently bad idea.
I mean, I know the chances are slim but if GitS ended up in the hands of writers and directors who were even remotely wise to what the thing is all about, you could really end up with something cool.
But really, the main thing I want from Production IG is for them to get the SAC crew to make a season that's an adaptation of the entire original manga. Holy fuck, that would just beat all.

= adult look-alike of Miyuki from Tokyo Godfathers? I swear I did a spit-take there. Anyway, can't wait to see Kon's next film. I've enjoyed them all so far, especially Millennium Actress. Keep up the good work!

who could play Motoko Kusanagi in a live action Ghost In The Shell movie? Someone who can act like her, but also has _that_ body. Athletic but big boobs, with a face that works with funky purple hair. All I can think of is Catherine Bell.